Machine for preparing vegetable fibers.



F. SGHERR & f. DARKIN;

MACHINE FOR PREPARING VEGETABLE PIBE APPLICATION FILED 091226, 1905. 899,846,

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. SGHERR & F. DARKIN.

MACHINE FOR PREPARING VEGETABLE FIBERS. 'APPLIOATION FILED 001'; 26, 1905.

- Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

b 39 R v Q. 6 e. 6. A9 9. 2 Q. 7

' clean thefibers from the I entrain s raras rgf ranr canton.

FREDERICK SGHERR, OF ROOSEVELT, NEW YORK, AND FRANK DARKIN, OF PASSAIQ'NEW- I JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR PREPARING VEGETABLE FIBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed October 2c, 1905. Serial No. 284,440.

0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, FREDERICK Soiinnn, residin at Roosevelt, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, and FRANK DAR- irin, residing at Passaic, in the county of Fassaio and State of New Jersey, both citizens bf the United States, have. invented an Improvement in Machines for Preparing Vegetable Fibers, of which the following is a speci- 'iication.

Our invention relates to improvements in macl'iinery for scraping off the pulpy vegetable matter from the fiber in the. leaves of agaves and other similar plants, for the sepa ration of the fiber and preparing same for the market. In the operation of the machines heretofore employed for this purpose, the leaves were scraped .on' one side hnly by beater wheels operating in a continuous sweep against an inclined curved surface, and this was a great strain, not only upon the mechanism, but I especially upon the fibers, with -the result that many fibers were broken and there was consequentl much waste, and the object of our inventionis to rovide a machine in which the action is"- ocal and simultaneous on both sides of the leaf and wherein the forward'movement of a gripping mechanism shall progress the scraping operation and the action be gradual sb as to prevent cutting the fibers.

In the device of our'improvement, the leaves are placed upon eonveyers from which they are successively engaged by grip feed chains at any preferred point between one end and the longitudinal center and, as theyare drawn forward, they pass between scraping cylinders set at anangleto the line of travel of said grip feed chains, These cylinders have sericsof scraping-edges or Medea-eitherstraight or spirally arranged,

that remove the pulp and spread out and oint held'in the rip feedchains toward. an to one-end of the caves, and said cylinders have preferably tapering forward ends to gradually startthc scraping operation and avoid sudden and abrupt action on the leaves. From this set of devices and preferably before their release from same, the fibers as cleaned are engaged by a second .set of grip feed 'chains which may or may not besetat an jangleto the first set, and the unscr'aped ends. of the leaves as they comeaway from the fi rst set of grip feed chains corrugated or toothed surfaces.

are'engaged by as set of scraping cylinders like the first set'and placed. at an angle to the line of movement of the second pairof grip feed chains and bythis second set of devices the scra ing operation is com leted,'the pulp is entire y removed and the 'bers are delivered clean from the second set of grip feed chains.

In the drawing, Figure his a diagrammaticplan representing the devices of our improvement'. Fig. 2is a diagrammatic elevation of one of a pair of the connecting gears. Fig. 3

is a vertical section and elevation representing one pair of the grip feed chains and one pair of the scraping cylinders. 4 is a cross section at the dotted lines 0:, as, of Fig. 1 showing the relation of the grip feed chains 'to theentering bite of the sore ing cylinders.

Fig. 5 is a crosssectionthroug 1 the grip feed chains at their yielding supports. Fig. 6 is a cross section through the scraping cylinders, and Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of the separable tubular sections of the scraping cylinders. Fig. 8 is an inverted plan of part of the gripfeed chains. Fig. 9 is a plan of one of the links of the grip feed chains to showits Fig. lOiis a diagrammatic plan view of a modification of our invention, andFig. 11 is a diagrammatic side'elevation showingthe method of operating the scraping cylinders. Figs. 3-9 inclusive are on a larger scale for clearness.

There arecertain essential features of our present invention, and our purpose is to fully and accuratel describe the same; therefore, the frame a, sfio'wn in the diagrammatic plan View Fig.1 is simply illustrative of any suit able frame that may be employed to so port the essential feature. Referring vto igf 1, b, I) and b re )resent belts or chains passing around suitable pulleys or sprocket wheels on the shafts 2, 3 and forming-a conveye'r upon which the leaves to be scraped are placed, It is to be understood that these leaves are thick and heavy, therefore, inv thoniasel es rigid, and will lie substantially flat when supported at only a few points, for which reason the belts shown are'sufhcient.

The position of the leaves upon thebelts forming the conveyor, determined by a gage board tagainst which similar endsof the leaves are placed, said gage board however, is not indispensable and may be omitted. c, c are endless'grip feed chains, having closely adjacent and meshing ribbed surfaces by'means of which. the leaves are ranged upon the frame of the machine. 7 Corresponding polygonal rollers e e also gripped as they advance upon the belts formin g the conveyor. These chains are mounted upon sprocket wheels or polygonal rollers d d and. sn'tablc shafts therefor in bearings. ar-

mounted upon suitable shafts in bearings in the frame are at the otherends of the grip 1 feed chains :2, 0. Figs. 4, 5, S and 9 show particu arly in detail. the construction of the links oi the endless grip feed chains. As will be noticed particularly from Fig. 3, the shaft 3 which supports the pulleys of the belts b, i) b is also the shaft of the polygonal roller (1', comeuently the leaves carried on the belts forming the conve 'er move directly into the bite of the chains.

The polygonal roller 0 of the chain c is on a shaft i in suitable bearings in the frame with a gear i at the end of the shaft. This meshes with a corresponding gear on a second shaft 1' which is the shaft of the p olygonal roller e of the chain c, rotary motion being thus communicated to not only the polygonal rollers and the endless grip food chains 0, 0, but from the shaft 3 and the pulleys and belts thereon to the shaft 2 and its 1 pulleys. I

We provide a fixed guide f and a yielding guide f above the same. These guides receive the adjacent portions-0f the endless grip feed chains and the guides are placed .at the position where it is most necessary to grip the leaves firmly, as the pulp is being removed therefrom and the fibers cleaned. We have shown as supports for the fixed guide the columns 5 mounted upon the bars Te yielding guide df is rovided with his 7 placed vertical'an .whic 1 pass through bars 9, there being helical springs 8 between the, upper surface of the yielding guide and the under surfaces of the bars, the springs exerting a downward pressure upon the guidef to prcss the grip -ecd chain 0 towards the grip fccd chain c so as to hold in the bile between the chains the leaves to be scraped.

g 7 represents ill( first pair of scraping cyl-- indcrs which arc providcd with conical for- Ward ends, the mccting or adjacent faces of which are in a common horizontal plane with the mccling or adjacent faces of the grip fccd chains 0 c". 'llicso scrapii'ig cvlindcrs are provided with cdgcs or bladcs cillicr straight or spirally arrungcd, which cdgcs continue down tlic conical forward ends. 'llicsc. c vlindcrs arc preferably formed of shafts with sleeves or tubular sections mounted thereon, said tubular sci-lions having scraping cdgcs on their surfaces and being keyed in position, it being advantageous to be able to remove any tubular scclion that may become injured and replace it with a new one. Fig. 1 shows the division lines of the cylinders into the tubular sections. .Thcse c linders are placed at an angle to the line 0 the endless grip feed chains 0, c, as will appear from Fig. 1. I I

Fig. 6 take through the scraping cylinders shows that their scraping edges do not quite meet; they are turned in unison but in opposite directions by the devices shown in Fig. 11, which consist of a belt 20 over a power pulley 21. and running in opposite di-- rcetions over the pulleys 23, M on the shafts of said cylinders and also over an idle pulley As the leaves to be treated are drawn along by the endless grip food. chains 0, 0 they are drawn in between the conical ends of the scraping cylinders g, ft, which commence to act upon the opposite sides of the leaves gradually rcniovirs the pulp and compressing the fibers, the leaves being gradually drawn nearer to the full diameter of the scraping cylinders and between the same.

In the scraping operation the pulp is pushed for and; the fibers are compacted to a common central plane between the scraping cylinders and thcpnrts to be scraped advanced with the advance movement of the grip chains, so that by the time the parts to be scraped reach the cnds of the scraping cylinders, the pulp will have been entirely roinoved from substantially one half of the longest leaves, and it will then become necessary to scra c the othcr'lialf of the leaves previously lic d by and between the endless grip chains.

- For the purpose of communicating motion between the various parts we have shown in Fig. 1, the shafts 1U, 11, 12, 13, 14. On one end of the shaft 10 there is a pulley and another pulley on the shaft iwitli a bolt 15 connecting the two and the other end of the shaft 10 is provided with a bcvcl gear 16 meshing with a similar bevel \\'ll((l on the shaft 11. The shafts 11. and '12 are connected by bevel gears 17; the shafts 12 and 13 by bevel gears 18; the shafts 13 and 14 by a belt 19 and pulleys around which the same passes. The shaft 12 is the shaft of the pulley 21 and the shaft 11 is the shaft of a pulley 25 around which passes a bolt 26, and said belt is advantagcouslyarranged to pass around a scrics of pulleys similar lo the scrics 21 lo 34 and of which the pulley 27 is one employed to actuate a pair of scraping cylinders in m similar to the scraping cylinders g, It.

We have shown in elevation, Fig. 3, parts of tlic scrapin cylinders in m, and, in the plan, Fig. 1, t 10 upper scraping cylinder in and the upper grip fccd chain 21 of the corrcsponding pairs of said scraping cylinders and grip fccd chains. The grip food chains 7L and the scraping cylinders m in .are also placed at an angle to one another, and as shown here also at angles to the chainsc, c and cylinders g, ll, of which they are the duplicate, for the purpose of scraping the remaining llIlSClflwOll portion of said leaves.

From Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the grip from t r g, it, pass into the bite of the grip feed chainsseasac feed chains n are not only at an angle to the grip feed chains 0, cf, but that their ends overlap, consequently the scraped fibers,

1e operation of the scraping cylinders a substantially simultaneously with the loosening of the pulpy portion of the leaves from the grip feed chains c, 0; therefore, said pulpy portion is atonce drawn into the adjacent conical ends of the scraping cylinders mm in which the operation of scraping the second half of the leaf, is similar to the o eration hereinbefore described of scraping t e first half of the leaf, the divergence of relation of the grip feed chains to the scrap,- ing cylinders providing for drawing through the cylinders the fibers scraped from the entirely scraped.

respective parts of the leaf until the leaf is The grip feed chains 71, are mounted upon polygonal rollers 1c it,

the machine, and they are provided with guides Z, in all essentials the, same as the guides f, f, although in the diagrammatic view F1g. 1, the details are not shown. The

shaft 14 is the shaft of one of the polygonal rollers 7t and it is our intention that the superimposed polygonal rollers be connected by gears 28 upon corresponding shafts, for communicating movement, which gears are similar to the gears i shown in Fig. 2. 7 shows one of the tubular sections of which the scra ing cylinders g, h, and m, m are preferab y composed or built up, and Fig. 6

IS an end elevation of the corresponding sections of said scra mg cg hnders and-crosssections of the s afts on whlch they are mounted, and of the splines or keys, h and g by means'of which it is proposed to fasten the cylinders to the shafts, so as to prevent them turning on the same and to enable the relative gp'sitions of corresponding scraping edges to e maintained.

i In the modified form of our invention shown in Fig. 10, similar letters of reference?v are'emlployed to indicate similar parts to? those s own in Fig. 1. In thi s'form of our invention, the leaves as brou ht to' the grip feed chains on the belts b, b are engaged by the grip feed thains 'c, c, and are scraped by the scraping cylinders g, h, the scraping operation, however, in this form of the invention starting at the ends of the leaves and stopping near the gripped ortion, and

' after the first half of each leaf is t us scraped,

the fibers are enga ed by the second set of endless grip feed 0 ains n and are scraped .by the secondset of scraping cylinders m m from the other end of the leaf to the point at whicl'i the previous scraping stopped, the'coacting parts in this modification being also set. at'angles to one another, but the operation bein directly the opposite from that performe scribed iformipfthe invention showri in Fig.

by the devices in the first de-.

1. In this modified form of our invention we prefer to employ the rods 30 shown in Fig. '10, for supporting the uncleaned por--. tion bf the leaves as they are moved to the second pair of scraping cylinders. A

The leaves of the agaves which are treated for the removal of the pulp by themachine of our improvement, are not only heavy, thick and strong, but 'the skin of the leaves is usually thicker on one side than on the other, and in the devices heretofore em ployed in this art and in whiclfitlte loaves were'scraped on one side only, the removal of the leaf skin and especially the thicker one was largely chargeable for the less of and damage to the fiber.

In'the device of our improvement simultaneous action on opposite sides of the leaves crushes the skin and pulp preparatory to its removal, and the skin is removed from both sides before the pulp is actually reached,

them substantially uninjured and unbroken.

We claim as our invention 1. In a'machme for -.prepar1ng vegetable fibers and in combination, co-acting devices set at an angle'to one another, the one for engaging the leaves at a suitable point and the other for removing the pulp thereof from a art of each leaf and a second like series 0 angle to one anot er, the one for engaging the fibers and the other for removing the pulp from the balance of the leaves, the respective series of devices being set at a suitable angle to one another.-

2. In a machine for preparing vegetable fibers, the combination. with -a conveyer device, of co-acting devices setat an an le to one another the one for engaging t e leaves at a suitable point andthe other for removing the pulp thereof from a part of each of said leaves, and a second like series of co-acting devices. also set at an angle to one another and to the first set' of devices for engaging the fibers and removing the pulp from the balance ofthe leaves.

3. In a machine for preparing vegetable fibers, the combination with a series of belts and pulleys forming a conveyer device, of-a pair of endless grip feedchains in line with the same and receiving and holding the co-actin devices also, set at an set at anangle to the line of travel of the endless gri feed .chains and adapted to receive am scrape said leaves from the point held in the grip feed chains to one end, and a series of similar co-acting devices for engaging the fibers and' scr'a ing the other half of the leaves. P

4. In a machine for preparing vegetable belts and pulleys forming e conveyer de- "vice, of apart ofendiess grip feed chains in line with the same and receiving and holding the leaves to he scraped, alixed guide in which the lower of the endless rip feed chains moves during the scraping operation, and e yielding guide shove the fixed guide and co-acting therewith, a pair of scraping cylinders having conical forward ends and set at an angle to the line of travel of the endless grip feed chains and adapted to receive and sore e said leaves from the point held, in the grip chains to one end, and

series of similar eo-acting devices for engaging the fibers and scraping the other half of the leaves. 1

5. In a machine for preparing vegetable fibers, the comhination with a series of belts and pulleys forming a, conveyer device, of a pair of endless grip feed chains in line with the same and receiving and holding the .eaves to he scraped, a pair of scraping cylinders having conical forward ends and set 'at an angle to the line of travel of the endless grip feed chains and adapted to receive and scra c said leaves from the point held in the grlp feed chains to one end, a second pair of endless grip feed chains and av f second pair of scraping cylinders agreeing in all essential details with the first pair of endless grip leed chains and the first pair of scraping cylinders, the respective pairs of grip feed chains and scraping cylinders heing set at suitable angles to one another so as to [list scrape one hall of the leaf and then engage the lihers and scrape the second half.

6. in a machine for preparing vegetahlc lihers, the cmnhinetion with a manager novice, oi' co-aeling evicrs set at an angle to one another, the one for engaging the leaves at s suilahlo point and the other for removing the pulp sinmltanconsly from opposite sides 01 the leaves and from a part oi co-acting devices also set at an angle to one another for engaging the lihers and simul taneously removing the pul from the opposite sides of the balance 0i Lhe leaves.

Signed hy us this 29th dsy of September 1905.

FRED. SCHERR. F. DARKlN.- Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY BERTHA M. ALLEN.

the length tlnn'eol, andla second like series of 

